Music Discovery Monday shines a light on artists that are not getting the radio attention that they deserve, while also showcasing new singles by established bands that are likely to get airplay in the future.
This week’s Music Discovery Monday features an exclusive interview with Invidia guitarist Brian Jackson discussing the meaning and inspiration behind “Feed The Fire” and the making of the video for the song.
In addition to appearing on the embedded YouTube playlist below, all songs featured on Music Discovery Monday can be listened to individually by clicking on the hyper-linked song titles above each review.
ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher/Editor, Hard Rock Daddy)
INVIDIA – “Feed The Fire”
Normally, on Music Discovery Monday, we focus exclusively on the music, but in the case of Invidia’s “Feed The Fire,” it would be doing an injustice to the band (and the Hard Rock Daddy audience) not to recommend experiencing this killer tune while watching the official video.
Unlike many hard rock and metal videos (which take place in an urban alley, an abandoned wearhouse or a desert), the video for “Feed The Fire” helps to bring the story to life in a cinematic way, as you focus on the band members and the special effects. Think of the darkness of Criminal Minds colliding with the mind trip of Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.
Musically, Invidia stands out as something different, which is intentional. The only rule that this Las Vegas band – which features current and former members of In This Moment, Five Finger Death Punch and Skinlab – has is that there are no rules when it comes to writing music. In fact, each song is a creative journey unto itself. No preconceived notions of what the band should sound like. No writing the same stuff that everyone in the band already liked. Just the freedom to mix ideas and styles and let the music flow naturally.
Too often these days, bands focus their attention on creating a sound that will appeal to radio, but it’s a losing battle. With a few exceptions, the bands with the most money and cache still dominate the airwaves, leaving all the rest to fight for a small piece of the pie that barely moves the needle anyway.
To be fair, Invidia does have a built-in advantage because of their connection to established artists. However, one listen to “Feed The Fire” and you’ll know that this band – with their devil-may-care approach – has naturally created what many bands consciously strive for.
If you had to compare “Feed The Fire” to any current hard rock act, Hellyeah is the first band that comes to mind. Like Hellyeah, Invidia can punch you in the mouth with aggression one moment, and mesmerize you with haunting melodies the next. Forget the connections to In This Moment and FFDP, Invidia is a force to be reckoned with on their own. Jump on this bandwagon early!
In a Hard Rock Daddy exclusive, Invidia guitarist Brian Jackson shared the meaning and inspiration behind “Feed The Fire,” and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the video…
“The concept of ‘Feed The Fire’ can be taken in a couple of different directions. The underlying meaning is about giving into addictions, whether it’s drugs or a toxic relationship. Many of people think that it’s strictly about a relationship, but there’s a lot of drug references in the song (indirectly).
Being in toxic relationships is definitely a part of the message of ‘Feed The Fire.’ When we were on tour, it was one of those things that we used to say to each other when one of us was on the phone on the tour bus fighting with a girlfriend or ex-wife. We’d point out that it was ‘feeding the fire’ of negativity, but we’re all about positive energy in the band. It became kind of a running joke with the guys.”
‘Feed The Fire’ was one of those off-the-cuff songs. The lyrics just felt right. It felt like we had something to say that people could relate to, but we really wanted to leave it up to the fans to judge and decide what it meant to them. To me, some of the best music is the stuff that is left open to interpretation.”
On the making of the video for “Feed The Fire”…
“We wanted to stray from the typical video that you see these days. When we were deciding the direction to take, there were multiple ideas. A lot of it came from Brian Cox of Flarelight Films (who is a very good friend of ours). He’s got great vision and he understood where the song came from.
Originally, I went out to L.A. to meet with him. We had a concept that we were building off of, but as we talked, things progressed. He had a vision that I wasn’t quite sure about at first, but it made sense. Once we actually started to shoot those scenes, it just felt really natural, like it was the direction that it should have taken all along.
I have to give props to Brian Cox and his team. They have a vision and a creative mindset that is an art form, like we do as musicians. These guys brought something to life, and at the end of the day, it tells a story. You want to understand the lyrics (because you think you do), but the video has little nuances in there that might make you feel something different.
We’re very pleased with the outcome of the video. I watch it quite often (I probably watched it 800 times before we even released it). Brian and his team gave us so much creative control and input into what the final product would look like. It was their vision, but they were extremely welcoming to everyone’s ideas. It was pretty flawless. We gave our ideas and the end result is even better than we expected.”
CIRCUS OF POWER – “American Monster”
Circus Of Power’s roots date back to the late-‘80s. Singing tales of debauchery, this NYC band offered a grittier take on sleaze rock than their West Coast brethren. Although they never broke through on mainstream outlets like MTV, Circus Of Power enjoyed early success as they toured with some of the biggest names in the genre. Through the years, the band has seen its fair share of lineup changes and lengthy hiatuses. After some solo releases and a few one-off reunion gigs, frontman Alex Mitchell put together another incarnation of the band in 2015, and entered the studio to record fresh material.
Fast forward to today. A new, finalized lineup has recently released “American Monster.” It would be easy to put the band name and song title together to come up with a political slant on what’s going on in the country today, but that’s not the case. Although the song does mention historical political figures, it doesn’t (at least overtly) refer to today’s political climate. Regardless of the meaning, “American Monster” takes me back in time to another gritty band that made their mark on the NYC scene in the ‘70s and ‘80s – The Ramones. There’s beauty in the simplicity of this straight-ahead rocker with a punk edge.
ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout
HAVOK – “Intention To Deceive”
These Colorado thrash metallers just released their fourth full length studio album, Conformicide. If the name of the band sounds familiar, it’s because they were in the news for a contract dispute with Dave Mustaine’s management on a tour where they were slated to open for Megadeth. Regardless of the negative (or positive) outcome of this dispute, Havok continues strong with their brand of old school thrash metal. It’s chock full of power, aggression and riffs that would make the forefathers of thrash metal proud.
IMMOLATION – “Destructive Currents”
Yonkers, NY’s Immolation has just released one hell of a great death metal album entitled Atonement. The sound is as evil and heavy as it ever was, dating back to the Rigor Mortis days. All the elements of classic death metal are there: blast beats, deep growls and heavily-distorted, mesmerizing riffs. On top of the traditional elements, the band is also technical and multi-layered with some great songwriting. These guys have death metal down to a science.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
VERMILION WHISKEY – “The Past Is Dead”
Louisiana’s Vermilion Whiskey bills themselves as “a working man’s band, steeped in whiskey fueled Rock-N-Roll tradition.” They bridge the gap between southern rock and stoner metal, with deep down groove and unforgiving riffs. Their new album, Spirit Of Tradition, is out now. Fix yourself a stiff drink and crank it up!
BLACK DIAMONDS – “Vampire Of The Night”
Swiss melodic hard rockers Black Diamonds are set to release their third album (on 3/31), Once Upon A Time. The band delivers layered harmonies with an ‘80s vibe.
SUBMISSIONS
To be considered for Music Discovery Monday, please e-mail a link to the song being submitted on YouTube and an artist bio to – submissions@MusicDiscoveryMonday.com
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